


Best Friends Split

by Whilhelmina_Prince



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 16:12:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10338750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whilhelmina_Prince/pseuds/Whilhelmina_Prince
Summary: From early on, best friends Rhett and Link have shared everything. But as they grow older, they wonder, can everything be shared?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Attitudes regarding homophobia reflect the landscape in which Rhett and Link were raised, and not the opinions of the author.

**Elementary School**

On the first day of third grade, Link tripped over his own feet walking to school. He cried, not because he was hurt, but because he’d ripped a hole in the knee of his new pants. So much for first impressions.

But the tears came harder when he realized his lunch, carried in a brown paper bag, had flown from his hands and straight into a puddle from the previous night’s storm. He was too frustrated to bother trying to salvage it.

When Rhett saw Link sitting with his hands folded at the lunch table, he didn’t hesitate. He hastily ripped his peanut butter and jelly sandwich in half and handed Link the larger piece. Link took it, his cheeks turning pink, and took a bite. But when Rhett also gave Link half of his cookies, Link shoved them back.

“They’re yours,” he said. Even at the young age of eight, he had lived enough to know the shame of accepting charity.

Rhett pushed the cookies back across the table.

“You don’t have to,” Link said quietly.

Rhett shrugged. “Best friends split.”

“Everything?”

“Yeah. Everything.”

  
  


**Middle School**

“And it really doesn’t bother you?”

Rhett sat on the couch, Nintendo controller in hand, eyes glued to the screen. He shrugged. “Why should it?”

Link looked down at his own controller, held limply in his hands. “I dunno. I mean, she was your girlfriend first.”

“She ain’t now.”

“Yeah, but …”

“Best friends split, man.”

“Everything? Even this?”

A huge grin crossed Rhett’s face. “Especially this. I can give you tips. That way you don’t end up sticking your tongue in her eye instead of her mouth.”

Link blushed and elbowed his friend in the ribs. “Shut up, Rhett.”

They returned to the game. But after a few minutes, Link turned back to Rhett

“But are you sure?”

Rhett paused the game and turned to his friend, locking green eyes with blue. 

“Best friends split. End of story.”

  
  


**High School**

“You could still do it, you know.”

Link shook his head vehemently. “No. Absolutely not.”

“But film school has been your dream. It’s what you want.”

“No, it’s what we want. Together. What would be the point if you’re not there?” 

Rhett shrugged sadly, but had no answer.

Link took Rhett’s hand and turned it palm up. With a gentle touch, he traced the faint scar there, and then held out his own palm and matching scar. Rhett looked from one hand to the other, and tears welled up in his eyes as he recalled their boyish promise. 

“Link, we were just kids. I can’t hold you to that.”

Link pressed his scarred hand to Rhett’s cheek and wiped away a single tear with his thumb. Rhett unconsciously leaned into Link’s hand. 

“Just because my dad won’t let me go doesn’t mean you can’t. Don’t let me hold you back.”

Link shook his head. “You ain’t holding me back, bo. You make me better. So whatever it is your dad says you’re doing, I’m doing it, too. Best friends split.”

“Everything?”

“Yes, Rhett. Everything.”

Rhett nodded, the tears coming harder. Link got up from his bed, and since he couldn’t find any tissues, handed Rhett a clean t-shirt from his drawer. Rhett wiped his face and then blew his nose into the shirt. 

He tried to hand it back to Link.

“You know what, man? Keep it.”

“Cause best friends split?”

Link snorted, and soon, they were both overcome with giggles.

  


**College**

It wasn’t the first time Gregg had teased them for still being virgins. They had both dated plenty, and had even come close a few times, but their convictions had stopped them.

Still, they were tired of the teasing. And despite those convictions, they both wanted more than just kissing. Quite a bit more. 

That weekend, Gregg went home to visit his parents, leaving Rhett and Link in the apartment alone. 

“Gregg’s a dick,” Link said, after their roommate left with one final dig hanging in the air.

Rhett was on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. “He’s not wrong.”

“About what?”

“That we can’t get laid.”

“Could if we wanted to,” Link retorted. 

Rhett scoffed. “You want to. Just as much as I want to.”

“I just want him to shut up.” 

Link joined Rhett on the bed, gazing up at the same blank spot on the ceiling. Minutes passed as they lay there, Rhett’s arms folded under his head, Link’s folded on his chest, their breaths falling easily into sync. 

“We could …” Rhett’s voice fell away.

“Could what?”

“We could shut him up.”

“How?”

“Tell him we’re not virgins anymore.”

“Right,” Link said, sarcasm dripping from his mouth. “Like he wouldn’t see through that lie.”

“What if … what if it’s not a lie?” Rhett’s suggestion came out in a whisper.

Link stiffened. “What, we go find a couple of random girls just so Gregg will shut up?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rhett shake his head. “No, I mean, we could … I mean, I don’t even know if it would count, but …”

Link turned on his side and faced his friend. “Rhett?”

Rhett turned and swallowed hard. “We could … you know … with each other.”

“Do you … want that?”

It went against everything they’d been taught. It was so ingrained, they couldn’t even speak the words. 

Rhett’s brow furrowed and he bit his lip. “I just, you know, if we go out to like a party or something, it’ll just be some girls, and we won’t know them or anything, and that’s bad, right? Might not be safe. And that would be like, real sex. This would be … I dunno. Not SEX sex. Just, you know, a couple of guys helping each other out. That’s not wrong, is it?”

Link didn’t respond. He knew it was wrong. Rhett was just trying to justify it, to find a loophole. But Link wasn’t going to be the one to tell him.

Rhett continued. “Plus, what if I find a girl, and you don’t? Then you’re still a virgin and I’ll feel terrible and Gregg will tease you even worse.”

Link still didn’t answer. He was lost in an argument with his heart. He’d never been close to a girl like he’d been close to Rhett. This made sense. And yeah. He wanted it.

Rhett sat up and swung his legs off the bed. “Eh, it was a stupid idea. Just … forget I said anything.”

Link quickly sat up and threw his arms around Rhett. “No. Best friends split. We do this, we do this together. Just us.”

“Best friends split.” Rhett repeated the words, testing out their meaning with his lips. “Everything? Even this?”

“Especially this.” 

“What are we gonna tell Gregg?”

Link leaned his head on Rhett’s back. “I don’t care anymore.”

  


**Marriage**

There was a short knock and the door opened. Of course, Rhett would never bother to wait for permission.

“Hey, Rhett,” Link said, barely looking up from the mirror.

“Need help?”

Link turned around, his face pale and drawn. “I can’t get the stupid thing right,” he said, continuing his futile battle with the tie.

Rhett reached him in three strides. “Here, let me,” he said, covering Link’s hands with his own. “Geez, man, you’re shaking like a leaf.”

Link dropped his hands and let Rhett work on the tie. “I know.”

“Nervous?”

Link shrugged. “Sorta. I mean, no. I don’t know.”

“You’ll be fine. All you gotta do is stand there.”

Link nodded. 

“And I mean, you love her, right?” Rhett asked, looking down into Link’s eyes.

“Course I do.”

“Then you got nothin’ to worry about.”

Rhett patted Link’s chest and stepped back. “There. Tie’s all done. You look … you look good, bo.”

“Thanks.”

“Guess I’ll see you out there then.”

Rhett headed toward the door. Link’s heart fell as he watched his best friend, his other half, walk away from him.

“Wait!” he called out as he ran to the door, his voice cracking on the words.

Rhett turned just in time to see Link’s tears.

“Rhett, what does this mean for us?”

Rhett shrugged. “Nothin’. You’re still my best friend.”

“I know, but … things will be different now. I’m going to be married. Probably start a family. What happens to us?”

Rhett wiped Link’s tears, even as his own fell, and then pressed their foreheads together, his fingers tangled in Link’s  hair. 

“Best friends split, right? I guess … I guess that means we have to split each other, too. I can’t keep you all to myself when you have your own life to live. Doesn’t mean you won’t still have me. I just gotta learn to share.”

Link sniffled back a sad laugh. “Best friends split.”

“Everything.”

“Everything.”

Another knock came, and both men jumped away from each other, turning their eyes to the ground. Link’s dad opened the door. 

“Ready, son?”

Link gave Rhett one last look. Rhett smiled and raised his hand to Link in what looked like a wave. But Link knew he was showing Rhett his palm and their old, sacred promise. Link nodded and raised his hand in return, before turning to his father.

“Yeah. I’m ready.”

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a brief moment from GMM 1095, as shown here: http://graveyard-whistler.tumblr.com/post/158470887104


End file.
